The present invention relates to the sealing of toggle switches, such as panel mounted toggle switches, in order to prevent moisture and other contaminants from passing through the switch.
A toggle switch has a toggle lever that is typically pivoted about a pin in order to control the position of a switch. The pin passes through a bushing and the toggle lever so as to support the toggle lever. Toggle switches are used in a variety of applications and are frequently mounted to panels such that the toggle levers of the toggle switches protrude from one side of the panels and extend through the panels to operate switches on the other side of the panels. A seal is usually provided between the toggle lever and the switch in order to prevent moisture and other contaminants from passing around the toggle lever and into the switch.
The current method of sealing a toggle switch is to over mold the toggle switch with a material such that the material fills the area between the bushing and the lever/pin combination. This over molding process is a specialized process that is expensive to implement. The present invention is directed to a less expensive seal.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a toggle switch comprises a switch cover, a toggle lever, a seal guard, and a one piece pre-molded seal. The switch cover has an opening. The toggle lever extends through the opening of the switch cover. The seal guard is associated with one of the switch cover and the toggle lever. The one piece pre-molded seal surrounds the toggle lever and provides sealing between the toggle lever and the switch cover, and the one piece pre-molded seal abuts the seal guard.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a toggle switch comprises a switch cover, a switch case, a toggle lever, and a one piece pre-molded seal. The switch cover has an opening. The toggle lever extends through the opening of the switch cover. The one piece pre-molded seal has a neck portion and a planar portion, the neck portion surrounds the toggle lever and provides sealing between the toggle lever and the switch cover, and the planar portion provides sealing at an interface between the switch case and the switch cover.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a toggle switch comprises a switch cover having an opening, a switch case, a toggle lever, a pin, and a one piece pre-molded seal. The toggle lever extends through the opening of the switch cover and into the switch case. The pin extends through the switch cover and the toggle lever so as to form a pivot for the toggle lever. The one piece pre-molded seal has first and second portions. The first portion surrounds the toggle lever and the pin to provide sealing between the toggle lever and the switch cover and around the pin, and the second portion is between the switch cover and the switch case.